Learning to Love through Music (Revised)
by ForeWARNE
Summary: After like two years of seeing this up on the site, I knew how much of this didn't make sense. So, I revised it and changed a few minor details. I hope this is a better version than the previous one since I completely destroyed it after putting this up. Baron and Fabia are still the main characters of this story. (1st Story out of 5)(The Sigil Series)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: From Dream to Concern** **–** **(Fabia's P.O.V)**

Sitting at her little desk, not too far from the window, Haru daydreams in the middle of a lecture. My constant nagging about her telling me is driving me crazy. Her foot tapping with the rhythm of a slow song she told me about, called "Katzen Blut." The only thing she has ever told me about was in her dreams saying that she visited some kingdom called the "Cat Kingdom" which I thought was weird. She went into details always whenever it came to this subject. A few characters that apparently were called her friends was a dark grey cat named Lune who was the prince, a beautiful white cat named Yuki who happened to be Lune's wife, an overweight cat that was white as well named Muta, or "Moo-ta" as she always called him, and a black crow named Toto whom she said was a stone statue coming to life by magic. Then there was always "him."

She always went into full detail whenever it came to this guy. As I remember from words, Haru said that it was a cat figurine who liked to dress nicely. He apparently wore a white tailcoat, a crimson red inner vest that covered his white button-up shirt, a pair of white dress pants that went all the way down to his ankles which didn't need to be folded up, a pair of brown dress shoes that didn't have laces, elegant white gloves, a blue bowtie, a white top hat which he took off whenever he met someone new, and a brown hook cane that he kept with him always. His features were that of a cat, mostly, but also looked like he had the body of a human. His fur was an orange color mostly with a cream color that went under his chin and, which I assumed, ran down his chest and stopped after his stomach. His ears were pointed but had a slight curve. There were whiskers that stretched from his face. But the thing that got me the most was his eyes. Haru said that he had cat eyes which were a "magnificent" emerald green. She told me that she could stare into his eyes forever until he turned away.

The thing is, she always told me it was just a dream, no matter how strange it was that she could remember every single small detail. But I never believed it when she looked away. And I'll always remember him being called "Baron Humbert von Gikkingen" or "Baron" for short.

"Haru," I say in almost a whisper. It's because the class, mostly the teacher, had expected her to answer the question on the board.

"Haru…?!" I repeat a little worried. Exactly, how far was she into her daydream? One last time.

"HARU!" I burst out, snapping her out of the daydream by making her jump.

"Wh-wh-what?" she asked looking surprised. Before anything else could be said, the bell rang which dismissed us from school. She is, so, in for a serious talk.

(Haru's P.O.V)

"Haru, can I ask you something?" says Fabia, persistent on getting my attention.

"Sure, go ahead." I reply with a smile.

"Why do you keep daydreaming in class?" she asks, looking a bit worried.

"What do you mean?" I reply with another question. We were walking down the street that led us to the Crossroads.

"You know, like in class today. You keep going off into your own little world and it's driving me insane just to get you to pay attention." She says still looking worried.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me, I've just had a few things going on in my mind, that's all." I say retaining my smile.

"More like "one" thing. A person maybe?" she teases with a smile of her own. I gasp and stutter. I knew where she was going with this.

"Wh-wh-what a-are yo-you t-t-talking ab-about?" She laughs. I'm busted.

"I knew it! You're in love with Baron?" Fabia says looking like she just won the lottery.

"WE ARE JUST FRIENDS!" I shout back at her.

"If you say so. I wonder if he's a good "kisser" in real life." After that, she runs down the sidewalk leaving me chasing after her, red with embarrassment, and screaming.

"FAAAABIIIAAAA!"

The sky started to get a bit dark after that little chase, and there was something that I wanted to tell Fabia before we went our separate ways. I just don't know how she'll take it. Even Hiromi knew about this.

"Fabia?" I ask. Here we go.

"Hmm?" she replies looking at me. I felt nervous.

"You know how I would always ask you to keep things secret whenever I confessed something?" I asked.

"Yeah?" she said looking a bit prepared as usual. She knew whenever I confessed something to her that she promised to keep it a secret until I was ready to tell anyone anything.

"It's about the Cat Kingdom I told you two weeks ago." I say looking down at the ground. We continued to walk a bit more.

"Yeah, I remember. It's the dream you told me about where you met the characters you described. Especially your 'Prince Charming,' Baron." She said looking all lovey-dovey in her eyes. I tensed up a bit before replying.

"Well, to tell you the truth, that event did happen in real life." I finally say. She looked at me, snapping out of her romantic trance, and her eyes widened.

"Really?" she asked looking ecstatic. I look at her to see her calm and collective instead of bursting out laughing.

"Wow, I never thought they were real! That is totally amazing! I wish you would've told me this a lot sooner. I was planning on asking you to tell me more about them. I would really like to meet them one day, though." She says. I had a grin on my face after she said that. That gave me an idea.

"Why don't you come with me for a quick bit?" I ask her. She looked confused.

"Where are we going?" she asked. My grin got wider. It was finally time to show her.

"We're going to go see Baron!" I shout starting to run ahead. I turned my head to see her running after me. It took at least four minutes to get to the Crossroads. The track meets helped a lot in building my stamina. But, Fabia was panting heavily. I knew of her condition.

"Are you okay?" I asked her. She nodded. Looking for a specific fur ball was so simple to spot. His favorite lounge chair was right under an open umbrella, right by a café.

Beckoning my friend to follow, we walked up to the said chair. The white puff ball was so easy to make out. Although, Fabia wondered what it was. At least she spotted it the first time, unlike me. I lowered my hand towards the farthest side and found a brown spot. Smiling to myself, I started scratching until the puff ball started purring. That got its attention.

"Hi, Muta." I said. Fabia was right in my periphery, so I could see her reaction. Her eyes were wide with surprise. The puff ball, which was a cat, turned its head to look at us with a gruff expression. He spotted her in his sight and then looked at me.

"Who's the kid, Chicky?" he asked. He sounded annoyed, but I knew that wasn't his feeling right now. My smile grew wider.

"This is Fabia. She's one of my best friends, besides Hiromi. Could you take us to Baron? I want her to meet him. And don't worry, she can be trusted." I told him.

Muta's only answer was getting off the chair and heading in the same direction of the maze. I grabbed Fabia's arm, since she was still mesmerized by the entire thing, and started after Muta.

"By the way, just to let you know, Baron might not be in the mood for a chat." Muta called back to us. I was confused.

"Why, what's going on?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Emerald Meets Jade** **–** **(Baron's P.O.V.)**

Today is like any other day in my silent domain known as the Cat Bureau. All I ever do these days is relax in one of my armchairs and look at the sky through the windows on the balcony. I could do many things with my time right now, like make my tea for only myself, or read a book on my bookshelf that I could easily recite by memory. Anything would just be the same as everything I do after that one case I had approximately three weeks ago. It involved the Cat Kingdom, of course, with my cohorts and I helping a young girl out of an arranged, but forced, marriage. This had been an interesting case, but when it came to an end, so did my excitement. I don't know why, but it was the most fun I've ever had. Now, everything else just seems rather boring.

As if on cue, after thinking about that previous case, my ears twitch at an all but too familiar sound of arguing just outside the doors. Even that felt outdone by a long shot. My head was spinning, and I felt rather sick from the fighting. But Toto was supposed to be on his way to a Mulberry Festival a few minutes ago. As I make my way towards the door, I hear a booming voice calling out to me.

"HEY BARON, YOU BETTER COME OUT. SOMEONE'S HERE TO SEE YOU!" says my loud, and rather large, friend known to be Muta. This got my attention.

At this point, my interest had been piqued. Who would be visiting the Bureau on a night like this? I had many ideas, but I believe it is Haru. Ever since a week prior to that day, she's been visiting almost every day. At least she could liven things up around here.

Before I could take another step, I rush back to my hat stand, in the back of the Bureau, to collect my top hat and my overcoat and head back to the door. The lights automatically turned on, considering the sun has gone down. The doors open outwards, and I step out to greet the guest waiting patiently upon my arrival.

"Good evening." I call out while taking off my top hat, placing it upon my heart, and putting my other hand behind my back. I left my cane back in the Bureau after a sudden feeling that I wouldn't need it. Turns out, my guess was correct. The brunette of my thoughts stood out by Toto's stone pillar.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Miss Haru." I added. She smiled down at me, considering our height difference. "Oh Baron, it's great to see you again. Always the gentleman, I presume?" She asks, her smile widening. That was an odd question. I thought she would know this by now. But, I wasn't about to be rude and point out the obvious.

"Of course, if I had no respect to a young woman, I would not be what I am up to this "marvelous" night." I reply, stressing that word. I did have doubts about this night.

"Baron?" Haru calls out.

"Hmm?" I reply. She looks either worried or nervous.

"Are you ok?" she asks looking concerned. Concern was one of the features covering her face, but there was something else.

"I am quaint. Why do you ask?" I reply once again. Did something happen? I really couldn't tell.

"It's because, you seem a little sad. I was talking to Muta, on the way here, and he said that you haven't been your usual cheerful self the past few days." she explained. I turned my head to the large feline himself and glare. He looks away nervously while rubbing his neck with his paw. How could he get her involved? I didn't want her worrying over me. Even though her concern was comforting, she'd be having stress marks showing upon her features if she did every time she visited.

"And I was kind of hoping to introduce you to my friend that," she says until I cut her off. My mind was somewhere else until my ears perked up at the mentioning of another person. I would be yelling at Muta later, though.

"Your friend?" I ask. I wanted her to catch my attention for obvious reasons.

"Yeah. Baron, I would like to introduce you to my friend." She says while another girl, I found oblivious, steps out from behind Haru. They must've been hiding her, considering I didn't notice her until her appearance was made known. As she steps out, I start to take in her appearance.

She looks to be about the same age as Haru, although she has a darker hue to her hair and the length is much longer than hers also. Both girls were wearing the same school uniform, for the time being. The only thing that caught me off-guard were her eyes. They had a green color, just like mine. They were a little darker, but they reflected the light off the moon perfectly. Haru was watching my every move as the other girl came out.

Either I'm out of sorts tonight or I'm just mesmerized, since Haru saw that I nearly lost my balance after taking in her friend's appearance. My eyes widened just a bit, my mouth was slightly open, and I nearly dropped my hat. She took this time to break the awkward silence and finally introduce her friend.

"As I was saying, Baron, this is my friend, Fabia." Haru says raising her hands to introduce us. I regain my composure and my voice to greet this "beautiful" girl.

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Fabia." I finally say. She looked a little hesitant to reply, but when she looked into my eyes, jade green meeting emerald green, she regained her confidence, apparently.

"The pleasure is all mine, Baron Humbert von Gikkingen." She said as she pronounced my title. How did she know my name? I didn't know this girl, but somehow, she knew me. It wasn't until I looked at Haru to figure out the reason. I really must be out of sorts.

"Well, let's not dawdle out in the night air any longer. Would you two like to come in for tea?" I asked politely gesturing to the double doors of the Bureau.

"Sure Baron. You have got to taste his tea, Fabia, it's the best in the," she started before being interrupted by music in her pocket, which I assumed was from her cell phone.

"Hello? ... Now? … Ok, I'll be right there." She said, before she sighed, letting her shoulders drop, and leaving me to look at her with concern in my eyes.

"I have to go. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Baron. Bye Fabia. Bye Muta." She says as she runs out of the Refuge leaving us bewildered by her sudden departure.

Miss Fabia released a somewhat defeated sigh after seeing Miss Haru leave. She looked rather tired from this excursion. I was lost for words once Miss Haru disappeared through the archway, but there was still another guest to attend to.

"I am not sure how to go along with the departure of Miss Haru, but the offer still resides with you Miss Fabia." I say looking at her. She looks down at me and smiles encouragingly.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer, Baron. Thank you." She says politely. I grinned from her slight enthusiasm. We left it at that. For now.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: First Time is Always Awkward** **–** **(Fabia's P.O.V.)**

I couldn't believe what I was doing. Haru had run off because of a phone call, and she had left me in this "Refuge" at the mercy of Baron and Muta. I stood still for a moment as Baron waited patiently by the doors while Muta walked past me and headed straight inside.

"Are you coming in, Miss Fabia?" Baron asks, tapping his foot.

"Uh, yeah, I'm coming." I say as I start walking towards the door. I looked to see that Baron tensed up for a moment, like he forgot something, and rushed inside making his way to the back of the Bureau. I knelt down, seeing as the doors were small and started to make my way inside by crawling.

Before I could get halfway, Baron rushed back to me and gestured for me to hold out my hand and close my eyes. I felt something hard and solid with edges, like it was a diamond or something, and something placed on top of that which felt like tiny fingers. A few seconds passed between us and I felt something strange develop within me, like my world was getting smaller. Just as I open my eyes, I see Baron in front, but there was something odd, he was taller than me. My new height was just below his muzzle. I looked down to see the jewel, which was apparently a jade, still in my hands. He took the jade from me and started to attach a small chain with a clasp to it.

After he finished with the attachment, he put it around my neck and clasped it so that it wouldn't fall. It looked so beautiful. I saw that Baron was smiling at me and looked him straight in the eyes. They sparkled just like an emerald. But something was a bit weird. As I was getting lost in his eyes, Baron looked like he was getting lost in my eyes. I thought this couldn't get any stranger. With his emerald green eyes and my jade green eyes having a stare off. Thankfully, someone was watching and decided that enough was enough.

"HEY!" Muta said to which we jumped at.

"Are you two just gonna stand there and look all lovey-dovey towards each other?" he said with an evil smile across his face. Simultaneously, we looked at him and then back at each other until we realized what he meant. Baron looked away, while gritting his teeth, and started to head to his cupboard, which looked like he was going to make tea. I shuffled my feet and put my hands behind my neck realizing the little dilemma that just developed. What I didn't know was that my heart was beating crazy as if I got totally freaked out by something. I knew what this meant. I fell in love with Baron, at first sight, without even knowing it.

(Baron's P.O.V.)

I don't know what's going on with me. My heart hasn't stopped pounding ever since I walked away from Fabia. I couldn't even concentrate on making my simple, yet special, blend of tea without seeing Fabia in the liquid's reflection. Surprisingly, I managed to make it and turn around with cups in my hands, only to see that Fabia was still standing in the same position, near the door, looking at the floor.

I walked over to the small dining table and placed the two tea cups upon it, near the armchairs, before making my way back passed Muta and towards Fabia. I placed my hand firmly on her shoulder. She looked up at me, surprised.

"Would you like to sit down, Miss Fabia?" I say while averting my gaze, so I don't get lost within her jade green eyes, and gestured to an armchair.

"Thank you, Baron." She says in a small voice and walked to an armchair. I turned to close the door, which was still open, to not let in any of the cold night air inside the Bureau.

"Baron?" I hear a voice calling to me. I turn to see the blue-haired girl looking at me. I motioned for her to continue, seeing as she had my full attention already.

"I know you like to be formal, but you can just call me Fabia. Seeing as everyone calls you Baron, I thought that I would call it even if it were like this." She said with a smile on her face.

I was left flabbergasted and stuttering on words trying to form on my hanging mouth. She then took her seat in one of the armchairs I gestured as I regained my composure while walking to the other armchair and sitting in it comfortably. I sigh in relief as my excitement left my system, for the time being, and sipped a bit of the tea in my cup. I glance to see that Muta was relaxing in the sofa while his eyes were glued on what was in front of him, across the table. For who knows how many times I've done this tonight, I glance once again to see that Fabia was holding the tea in her hand, hesitant, apparently, on taking a sip.

I didn't want to make her anymore nervous, so instead of my usual saying of "that's my own personal blend of tea," I gesture to her to not be nervous in her state.

"I can understand your nervousness, Mi-…Fabia. Perhaps you should try the tea. Miss Haru seems to enjoy it rather much." I say with a smile that faded into a concerned look. She had stayed so stiff ever since she took a seat.

I was about to get up, but Muta beat me to the punch. He started walking towards her as I put my tea down. "Hey Chicky, are you alright?" he asked her but with no reply coming through her mouth. He then patted her back to see if she was alright, and that's when it happened. My eyes widened and my heart leapt in fear as I literally jumped out of my seat at the event that just happened. Haru would kill me if she found out about this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Non-Forgetful Moments** **–** **(Muta's P.O.V.)**

This became a weird night for all of us. Chicky brought in a new friend of hers which was surprising seeing as the other woman didn't react the same way that she did. And even though she didn't stay for far too long, the one called Fabia did, and, apparently, she's starting to take a liking to Baron. Seriously, what's with all the girls falling for him? He's not all that fascinating. I'm just glad that Birdbrain isn't here to make things complicated. Now we're at this dilemma.

As soon as I patted her on the back, the third time, she fell over as if she was sleeping with her eyes open. As soon as she hit the ground, the "boiled grass" fell over, and, thankfully, didn't splash and hit any of us while it just spilled over. Baron jumped out of his seat, which I thought was funny by the way he did it, and rushed over to see if the girl was alright. The first thing he checked was if she had a pulse. He sighed in relief as he felt her pulse beating normally. Then he looked at me.

"Muta, put her on the sofa, gently, while I clean this mess up and acquire the first-aid kit." He said with worry written all over his face. I proceeded to pick her up, bridal-style, while he grabbed some towels and started to dab the floor where the tea spilled. I placed her on the sofa, gently, as Baron said I do before I hear a window open and my ears perk up.

"Hello Baron. Hello Fatso." Said a familiar black crow statue that entered through the window of the Bureau.

"You're a little early, Birdbrain. What's wrong? The festival was cancelled because they let in 'chicken wings' like you?" I shot back at him.

"Speak for yourself. At least they let me in. unlike a giant furball that would gobble up all the food in his sight." He said firing back at me.

"You little," I managed to say before being interrupted furiously.

"ENOUGH!" Baron shouted out, grabbing both of our attention.

"I REALLY COULDN'T CARE LESS WHERE THIS ARGUMENT LEADS! BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO IS UNCONSCIOUS FOR THE MOMENT! SO, I'D APPRECIATE IT IF WE HAD THIS ARGUMENT LATER! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" He continued to shout, tension rising in his voice making him look like he was ready to burst. We both nodded shamefully seeing as we got Baron mad, and we hated to get him mad because it always affected us in a kind of way.

Baron started making his way, with the first-aid kit, towards Fabia in case she got sick and he wanted to be prepared for whatever might happen. Birdbrain looked above me to see who Baron was taking care of.

"Who is she?" he asked no one in particular, but hoping to get an answer.

"She's a friend of Chicky's who came with her and me to the Bureau. Her name is Fabia." I replied not even looking at him. "So, she's a friend of Haru? Never expected this to happen." Birdbrain says looking a little surprised.

(Toto's P.O.V.)

I knew Baron had a way of attracting clients from different places, but to be found by a second human seemed a bit of a stretch, especially since this girl, Fabia I think it was, is a friend of Haru's. But something else didn't seem right about this. Baron looked like he was putting his whole heart and soul into making sure that Fabia was alright. Did he love her? Or was it something else?

A few minutes had passed after Baron had finished checking up on Fabia, and while I was cleaning my feathers, and "piggy cat" was scarfing down another angel food cake at Baron's desk, Baron never tried to leave her side. One of her hands was clasped into both of his and he had pleading eyes looking like he wanted her to get well very soon. Even though Baron explained the diagnostics of her health, which was collapsing from exhaustion, he never made the effort to do things like this in all the years that I've known him.

After about half an hour had passed, Baron nearly fell asleep at her side but forced himself to stay awake at any moment she could wake up. I just don't get it. Baron only met Fabia at the beginning of dusk, and he was already caught up in keeping her safe. I wanted to understand what he felt for her ever since Muta explained what was going on while I was at a Mulberry Festival and before I returned to the Bureau.

I couldn't take it anymore. If this girl drove him crazy, like Haru did once, then I was determined to see this all the way to the end.

I flew down to the floor, just a bit from Baron and the "sleeping beauty."

"Baron? Why don't you sing?" I asked to which he responded with a confused and surprised look all mixed up into one face.

"Sing to Fabia. Maybe she'll wake up to your 'beautiful' voice." I continued trying to urge him into singing. He looked away.

"I don't know if that would be a good idea. What if I sing something terrible? I'd be scarred for my whole life." He said trying to be dissuaded.

"Like that could ever happen. Pick the first song that you hear on the radio that Haru brought. And besides, you won't know until you try it." I said. I made it sound like this was an advertisement, and trying to get Baron to accept it. He looked back and forth between me and the girl a few times. I've never seen him this nervous either. She must be something to get him this riled up.

"I just don't think I could bring myself to do it. Let alone any song randomly picked." He said. This was getting nowhere and he was still refusing. Without thinking, I smacked him on the head. His head jerked forward, closer to Fabia's, until he brought back it up. Looking at me, in surprise, while rubbing the part that I smacked, I started glaring at him.

"Just make an attempt. Right now, she needs at least some comfort. Please? At least she'll know that you tried." I tried to plead to him. He looked at Fabia, while he gave a gulp, and took off his overcoat and placed it on top of her. He proceeded to stand up, with his eyes closed, and gave a sigh in defeat.

"Alright." He said. He walked over to the shelf to the left of the sofa, and switched a dial to turn on the little radio. A bit of static sounded from it, until it announced to play another song. At least I was going to hear him sing, after a long time of silent vocals.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Feelings You Can't Deny** **–** **(Baron's P.O.V.)**

I can't believe this was what I sang to Fabia. I could've done with something German, but this blasted sound box decided to choose some sort of upbeat song from America. I've now been nerve-wrecked due to singing something like this with my accent. Although everyone in the room didn't seem to mind it at all, apparently. Why me?

 _"_ _Let's make this fleeting moment last forever_

 _So, tell me what you're waiting for?  
I'm gonna keep it frozen here forever,  
There's no regretting anymore.  
It's worth the wait, even so far away.  
I'm making the night mine until the day I die,  
No lights to brake when you're hanging by fate,  
You know what it feels like when you're dancing blind.  
All alone, just the beat inside my soul.  
Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold.  
In the zone where the beat is un-controlled.  
I know what it feels like,  
Come on make me feel alive!"_

I take a deep breath to sing the next part while Fabia turns in her sleep.

 _"_ _Meet me under shining lights,  
I've been waiting right here all my life.  
Feelings you can't deny that you're living, open up your eyes.  
And I just wanna sink into your crazy laughter,  
Come on make me feel until the pain don't matter.  
Every second here makes my heart beat faster,  
Finally think I found what I'm chasing after.  
All alone, just the beat inside my soul.  
Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold.  
In the zone where the beat is un-controlled.  
I know what it feels like,  
Come on make me feel alive."_

I start the next verse. This was humiliating, but Fabia was, at least, starting to wake up.

 _"_ _All alone, just the beat inside my soul._

 _Take me home, where my dreams are made of gold.  
In the zone where the beat is un-controlled.  
I know what it feels like,  
Come on make me feel alive."_

Fabia wakes up to see me standing in front of her as I sing the last few words.

 _"_ _I know what it feels like,  
Come on make me feel alive."_

I finish with a huge sigh of relief that I wouldn't have to sing anymore. Note to self, never, ever, try to sing American music with an English accent. I am mentally scarred since I will never live this down. As I make my way past the sofa, a hand grabs my arm to me responding with my head turning to see who it was. It was Fabia.

She looked at me, smiling with happiness. I was relieved to see that she was alright. Then, she started to speak.

"That was really beautiful." Says Fabia, keeping her eyes locked with mine. I looked away, embarrassed, while feeling a blush appear on my face.

"Do you think you can teach me?" she says with a hint of pleading in her tone. I looked back at her, surprised from what she asked. She wanted me to teach her? To sing? No one has ever asked me to teach them to sing, let alone teach them anything.

"You want me, to teach you?" I asked.

"I want you to teach me anything that involves music. I've always wanted to learn the ways of music, but I've been so scared in trying and I never tried out singing or playing an instrument. Not even humming or whistling." She says, still trying to convince me. I retreated into my thought process. Somehow, I don't believe that for a second. Everyone has an inclination for music, whether tapping out a rhythm or simple humming. I was in much disbelief as she was in pleading.

I shouldn't have feelings for her, but it's difficult to deny someone who needs help. Why did I just think that? Now it does sound like a case. I guess I could take this on as a case, although it won't be official. Sighing somewhat in defeat, I look down at her.

"Alright. I will teach you only things that I know, even though it's not much." I say, which answers her question. She looks at me, smiling with eyes full of tears, her hands clasped together, as if in a prayer, and her mouth open in gratitude.

After a few seconds, she jumps from the sofa and into my arms which makes me stumble backwards. We fall to the floor, and Fabia is on top of me, still holding me in her embrace. I can hear her muttering "Thank You" repeatedly. After at least two minutes have passed, I can hear her breathing softly, and I assume that she has fallen asleep once again. This was something I could really become fond of.

I pick her up, bridal-style, and place her on the sofa once again. I walk past the sofa and head to one of my nightstands and pull open a drawer then clutching a comforter. I walk back to Fabia, closing the drawer, and take my overcoat off her and place the blanket over her to keep her warm. Taking a spare pillow, which was lying on the floor for some reason, I put it under Fabia's head. That should make her more comfortable, until I started shivering. I just realize how cold the Bureau is. I may have fur, but the air is freezing, in my opinion, and I wasn't a long-fur at all. So, in conclusion, I am clutching my arms together while shaking in place.

I put on my overcoat which seems to negate the cold a bit, but not enough. Then I looked at the girl sleeping in front of me. I don't know what possessed me to do this, but I carefully lifted Fabia's head, a little, so I could slide in and sit on the sofa. After I got comfortable, I gently place her on top of my lap, leaving the pillow between my head and the rim of the sofa. I turn to see Muta sleeping, practically snoring, at my desk and to find Toto perched on the rail silently breathing in and out. I look down at Fabia to see her in her own dream world. I stroke her hair, in response to her smiling. I smile back at her, before I let out a yawn, signaling me that it's time to get some rest, and feel my eyes closing, and heavy with drowsiness. In less than a minute, I fall asleep along with the rest of my cohorts and friends. This night has been very interesting and I never thought I'd spend my time with a girl that I practically "fell" for at first sight. Tomorrow is surely going to be even more interesting when I wake up. Until then, I return to my dreams, full of bliss, thinking about the woman that was lost for eternity.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Unofficial Work** **–** **(Fabia's P.O.V.)**

When I opened my eyes, I was not expecting to see what I was looking at. I saw a nice ceiling with three lights hanging by it, and when I turned my head to the right, there were a few bookshelves and cupboards in my line of sight. I remembered where I was. I was, apparently, still at the Cat Bureau. I snapped out of my slight shock when I felt something breathe on my hair near me. I turned my head, again, and saw a sleeping Baron.

His head was tilted in a downwards position, which was why I felt his breath, while he was slouching on the sofa. I saw his chest expand outwards slowly and then retreating inwards. It was so cute to see Baron sleep. That's when I realized I was sleeping, this whole time, on his lap. Even his arms were draped over me. It felt so relaxing to be in his presence, let alone on his lap. I tried to get up, but a part of me wanted to stay and be close to him. I had to force myself to get up off the sofa, and I turned my gaze back at Baron. He looked uncomfortable in the way he slept.

I put my hands behind him and gently laid his body in the same position I was sleeping in. I went to the other side of the sofa and put his legs on top of it. I easily slipped his shoes off his feet and took his top hat off as well. He looked more comfortable when I put the comforter over him which followed me putting the pillow under his head. I don't know why I did it, but I leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. I saw him smiling after that. He actually smiled. Gosh darn it, why did he have to be so great? And, that was the best word I could describe him with? What is wrong with me?

I took in my surroundings a little better now, seeing Toto perched on the rail above breathing silently and Muta at Baron's desk snoring his head off. I'm surprised I could sleep at all with that snoring going on all night. I walked over to Baron's stove, near the cupboard, and found a teapot still filled with Baron's "special blend of tea." I assumed that it was cold now and felt bad that I didn't try it before I passed out last night. If only they knew about my condition. Only Haru and Hiromi know about it.

So, to make it up to Baron, I warmed up the tea by lighting the fire on the stove and leaving it there for at least two minutes. I planned a little surprise, while smiling at the thought, which might make the members of the Bureau happy and in a good mood today.

I found a cookbook on a counter and saw that it had a recipe about something called "Angel Food Cake." That's when it came back to me. Haru told me that this was Muta's favorite and that he liked to try different ingredients in the recipe. So, I followed the recipe and proceeded to make the cake. A light whistling alerted me that the tea was hot again. I took it off the stove quickly, so as not to wake anyone up. Returning to baking, the tea was now cooling down a bit. I also remembered that Toto likes mulberries and gladly thanked the lord that Baron kept some in a jar in the cupboard. This cake was going to be my own "special blend" and I wanted to experiment a little with it. After finishing the cake mixture, I put it in the oven so it could heat up and be prepared to serve. I looked behind me to see the three Bureau members still sleeping in their spots.

'Just how tired were they?' I thought to myself before letting out an exasperated sigh and leaving them be.

It was going to be a few minutes before the cake would be done and I had nothing else to do. Until I noticed Baron's top hat and shoes.

I picked them up to see they were collecting a bit of dust. There was no way I was going to stand here and let these collect dust and any other debris. It might make Baron have a sneezing fit.

After a bit of searching around the Bureau, I found a polishing spray for the hat and a clean blue rag for the shoes. I sat myself in one of the armchairs, with the objects in my lap, and proceeded with the hat first. After spraying all around, I wiped it down with a cloth, and made sure I got every spot. I finished the hat, placed it on the dining table, and proceeded with the shoes. They were a bit harder since I had to be more careful with leaving stains unlike the top hat. After Baron's shoes were reflecting the sun perfectly, I placed them near the hat. A small "ding" told me that the cake was ready in the oven.

I grabbed an oven mitt, opened the oven door, and took the tray holding the cake out. I took the cake off the tray and placed it on a container I found in the cupboard. After that, I gently placed the cake on the dining table, trying not to wake the three of them up with so much noise, and left a letter on the table near Baron's top hat and shoes. The letter I wrote was to tell them I'll be right back after I do a little shopping, since it was the weekend, and that I didn't mind them helping themselves to the cake. It also explained to Baron about his hat and shoes in case he thought of any questions as to why they were on the table. I just hope they'll like the small things that I did for them.

Before I left, I poured a cup of tea for myself, since I haven't had a chance to try it. I took a sip and found myself in heaven. Haru was right about Baron's tea. It was the best I ever tasted. I bet nothing could compare to it. I finished the tea and made my way back to the letter, adding in about how much I liked the taste. After that, I headed to the double doors. I opened one of the doors, walked through, and silently closed the door behind me. I walked to the archway and left the Refuge, with a smile, knowing I would come back soon. I didn't even realize that I returned to normal height once I stepped through.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Early & Crazy** **–** **(Baron's P.O.V.)**

Today started off a bit later than usual. Feeling the sun's rays on my eyes, I squinted a bit in my sleep. Seeing as I couldn't take much more sunlight, I forced myself to wake up even though my body disagreed with me. My joints and limbs were a bit stiff since I left myself in that slouching position last night. I stretched and popped my neck to relieve myself of all the stiffness.

I stood up and felt my feet touch the softness of the carpet. And that's when I looked down, only to see that my shoes were gone and felt my head bare which meant my top hat was gone as well. I was about to ask, out loud, where my two articles of my person were until I spotted them on the dining table, near one of the armchairs. I made my way to the other side of the table, to collect my hat and shoes, and saw that there was a card next to them as well.

Placing my top hat back on my head and sliding my shoes back onto my feet, while seeing them reflect the sunlight very well, I take the card in my hands and softly read it to myself. It was from Fabia.

 _'_ _Dear Baron, Toto, and Muta,_

 _If you are reading this, I have gone to the Crossroads just to pick up a few things. Baron's hat and shoes should be next to the card. I hope you like the polishing work that I put into them.'_

That's when I noticed that they were very clean and glistened in the light. I shall have to thank her the next time she returns. I proceeded with the next few words in the letter.

 _'_ _There should also be an Angel Food Cake on the table, in a container.'_

I gave a confused look to that sentence and turned my gaze to see that her words were true. There was a container in the middle of the table and it did look large enough to hold a cake. I continued reading.

 _'_ _Warning: That's my own personal blend. It's a bit different each time, so I can't guarantee the flavor.'_

I had to give a little chuckle to that response. Looks like there was another girl who admired those words. She must've heard them from Haru, since I didn't say anything last night. I continued, once again, reading.

 _'_ _I will be right back in a couple of minutes. So please, help yourselves. One more thing, I warmed up Baron's blend of tea and hope it hasn't gone cold. I really enjoyed it, so I thank Baron for making it. Will see you all soon. Love Fabia.'_

I smiled at the "Love" part because it felt so exquisite in my perspective. I placed the letter in my pocket and looked around. Even though she had been here only one night, it felt like as if she was a full-fledged member to the Bureau, as much as Miss Haru and Miss Hiromi.

It was still cold a bit within the Bureau, but it started warming up within the sun's rays. I turned to see Muta still lying his head on my desk, and turned again to see Toto looking down with eyes closed and perched on the rail as well. I walked past the sofa and to the window, which I usually stay by as a statue, to flick on the lights of the Bureau. Even though it was day already, it was very dark inside the Bureau. I was going to regret the next thing I was about to do.

I walked over to the bookshelf and grabbed a box off the third shelf. I opened it to find a pair of ear muffs and a whistle right next to it. I took the ear muffs out of the box and placed them on my ears while taking off my hat. I took out the whistle, and with a deep breath, I blew into it. The sound echoed all over the Bureau.

Literally, after two seconds, Muta jumped back in the seat and onto the ground, and Toto woke up startled, losing his balance in the process, and fell from the rail to the floor as well. As soon as they woke, I immediately stopped blowing the whistle. It took almost all my willpower to resist laughing out in front of them.

"Geez Louise, Baron! Do you always have to blow that thing whenever we sleep in?" Toto asked while rubbing his sore spots from falling.

"Well, since it does get your attention, I would say yes. It is quite necessary to blow this whistle." I reply while putting the ear muffs and whistle back in the box and onto the shelf.

"There are other ways of getting mine and Birdbrain's attention." Muta said.

"Again, with the 'Birdbrain' insult? Seriously? You really need to find a better insult because that is starting to get old. Then again, you're already an old lard ball." Toto said, grinning after that last comment.

"You wanna run that by me again, you feather duster?" asked Muta, clenching his fists. I groaned knowing what it was nearly inevitable to stop the upcoming argument.

"Oh, finally he comes up with something different. But, it's still not good enough." Says Toto snapping back.

"You're really asking for it, you chicken beak."

"How many time are you going to refer me as a chicken, marshmallow?"

"You are so," Muta said before I interrupted them.

"Could we please stop arguing between each other, gentlemen? It's becoming a nuisance and it's rather early to start an argument." I say as calmly as possible, desperate to finish this fight before it ensued any further.

"And I believe there is a cake here that is in need of tasting." I continued while focusing my gaze at the container on the table. Both Toto and Muta look at me confused until they turned their heads to see what I was gesturing to. Muta rubbed his paws together up and down and licked his lips.

"Well why didn't you say so, before the fight, Baron?" Muta asked. I looked at him with my mouth open.

"Wh-Why didn't I?!" I managed to stutter in shock.

"INCREDIBLE!" I commented with an annoyance and my hand over my face. This was going to be a rather long day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Too Much Sugar** **–** **(Toto's P.O.V.)**

Being woken up by a whistle is much more annoying than watching fluff ball stuff his mouth entirely with cake. Seriously, where does he put it all? He already took out half of the cake that, apparently, Fabia made for us. I had to look away so I wouldn't be disgusted as he literally swallowed the entire half down his mouth. Even I noticed Baron grimace with a hand over his own mouth. He looked like he wanted to puke as he clutched his stomach in the process, while taking a step backwards.

Muta wasted no time in finishing the entire thing before he cut the rest of it up into two different pieces. Even though the cake wasn't big, it wasn't relatively small either. He pushed those two pieces towards each of our direction, gesturing us for our share. Since when was he so generous when it came to food?

The way he was smiling at us creeped me out, but I flew to the ground either way. Baron, also, made his way towards the piece of cake left for him, as Muta backed up and walked away towards the double doors.

"I'm headed outside for some morning air." He said as he walked through the doors. Baron and I looked at his retreating figure. What was that all about? Both of us shrugging it off, Baron grabbed a fork from a drawer under the cupboard and gently stabbed his piece, slicing it into a smaller portion so as he could place it in his mouth. I just nibbled on my piece with my beak, since I really couldn't use my wings for eating.

Finishing off my piece, I headed outside through the window. Before exiting completely, I turned to see Baron finish off his piece and make his way towards a sink with the container and wash it down. He never did like messes inside the Bureau. Turning my head back outside, I wouldn't be able to believe my eyes.

Muta usually sits in his lounge chair, next to the mailbox, and reads his newspaper. But, instead of the chair, he was pacing in a circle around the Refuge like a madman, said newspaper held in front of his face. I'm surprised he didn't run into any of the buildings as he kept pacing until his speed increased. My jaw dropped at the sight before me. Since when does Muta ever run and read like that? Who runs and reads at the same time at all?!

"Muta!" I scream at him. He looked up from his newspaper for a split second before he hid his head within it again.

"What in the world are you doing?" I asked, attempting to get his full attention. Seeing as he ignored me, which was definitely not something new every once in a while, I swooped down and clutched the newspaper, snatching it away from him. Resting on the stone pillar, in the middle of the Refuge, I turned my head to see Muta right underneath and jumping in an attempt to grab the paper again.

"You didn't answer my question, Muta." I called to him. He stopped jumping and just looked at me. Was his body shaking? It was moving back and forth, left and right, at rapid paces.

It'snoneofyourbusiness,BirdBrain!" he said, I think. I have no idea exactly what he said since it was so fast.

"Could you repeat that, slowly? I didn't hear any of it." I told him. He just growled in response. Just what was his problem?

He was stamping his feet on the ground like an irritated child. He squatted down in the process. What was he doing?

Before I could barely react, Muta, literally, jumped up to reach the edge of the pillar, clutching part of the newspaper. This act alone shocked me as I flapped my wings away from the insane fat cat. He wasn't supposed to be able to reach that high, even when he jumped. This behavior was a little too frightening to put up with. I even saw the crazy look in his eyes. The newspaper was torn in half when Muta sunk his claws onto the pillar and part of it on my talons. He glared at me in the most murderous way we both could think of.

"You… ripped… it." He said in a low voice. He rushed forward at me, even when I was in the air, obviously with intent on trying to get to me. What he didn't comprehend was that he never took his eyes off me, so he ran right into a wall from one of the buildings.

The speed he attained, and the solidity of the wall, was enough force to knock him out momentarily. But that behavior alone was enough to frighten me and make my way back inside the Bureau. And this only happened in a few minutes. Maybe Baron will know what to do.

"Baron! Baron! Something is completely wrong with Muta!" I called to him like a scared child. And I was a little bit scared in reality. Baron was nowhere to be seen from my vantage point. Just where was he? This was really important. Before I could react in time, a figure pounced on me, sending us both out the window.

My head was dazed for a moment, and then I saw something on top of me. More importantly, someone.

Baron stood on top of me, his head in front of mine, as his hands and feet pinned down my wings. What on earth was he doing?

"Baron? What are you doing?" I asked. That's when I noticed his eyes. They were much sharper than they looked when talking to someone, or even when glaring. He had a smile that could rival that fictional character known as the "Cheshire Cat." His face was getting closer and closer to mind as I stared at him with horror. Since when does the usually calm and composed Baron ever act like this?

"Lunch." He said. I gasped and realized that he was acting as very much as Muta was. In order to save my feathers, I slammed my head into his, knocking him away from my body. I instantly flapped my wings and headed into the air as much as possible. I knew how powerful Baron was at jumping, so I decided to put a lot of distance from me to the ground. Then, something grabbed my leg. Looking down, I saw Baron licking his lips as he attempted to climb up my body.

This was horrifying. Turning into lunch right before your friend's very eyes was not something I would've expected from Baron. I hate to accuse, but I think it was that cake of Fabia's that sent both cats into this frenzy. And it was a frenzy I wasn't too happy, or even keen, with.

Before I could react anymore, Baron clutched one of my wings tightly, repeatedly looking at me and licking his lips. That was very disgusting.

Without one of my wings to flap, we started making our way towards the ground instantly. The next thing I know I was unconscious, hoping that this was all just a nightmare.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Ideas and Shock** **–** **(Fabia's P.O.V.)**

Finding my way out of the maze of alleys and back to the Crossroads was harder than I thought. I kept coming up on a few dead ends that were starting to get a little irritating. After what at least felt like an hour, although it was just fifteen minutes since I left the Bureau, I managed to spot a little banner on a post that said I was in the Crossroads. I sigh in relief, knowing that I made it out, but groan since I'll have to go back through that maze.

I make my way towards a grocery store next to a café. It was a little crowded inside for some reason, but I kept walking and noticing a few products on sale. I headed through various aisles, picking up a few fruits and things to make for lunch. As soon as I was done, I head over to the purchase lanes. I purchased my groceries, headed outside, and that's when I noticed why there was so many people. A few people were setting up a platform and a lot of decorations which made it look like a stage. Apparently, there was going to be a "Karaoke Night" in the Crossroads.

There was a small line of people next to a stand that held sign-up sheets. 'Looks like fun.' I thought to myself. As soon as the idea got to my head, I walked over to the stand and got in line. Surprisingly, the line moved faster than I thought. As soon as I was next, I got an evil, but happy, smile on my face when I saw the words that said, "Group Performance."

(Haru's P.O.V.)

I walked to the Crossroads with my friend Hiromi because she said that there was a "Karaoke Night" event happening there and wanted me to participate with her. I agreed, surprisingly, because I felt I needed some excitement in my life.

We just got to the Crossroads, and noticed that there were tons of people in the area. We managed to squeeze through and make our way towards the line to sign-up. That's when we noticed a certain blue-haired girl walking away from the line. It was Fabia.

"FABIA," I shouted to which she responded by turning her head to look at me waving at her. She ran over to us.

"Hi Haru. Hi Hiromi." She says smiling.

"Hey," Hiromi says, "did you sign up for 'Karaoke Night'?"

"Yeah, I did. I wanna perform a duet." Fabia says still smiling.

"A duet?" I ask.

"Mm hm," she replies.

"Wow. Who are you going to perform it with?" I ask again.

"I don't know yet." She said while me and Hiromi slouch and our mouths hanging open.

"What?" Fabia asks.

"You just signed up to a duet, and you don't even have a partner?" Hiromi said incredulously, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well… I was actually going to ask Baron." She said calmly.

"WHAT?!" I shout to which Fabia and Hiromi jump back startled. I was shocked to hear what she was going to do. She was going to ask Baron to perform a duet with her? I don't know how he would react if he heard this and if he would accept.

"Is something wrong with asking?" she asked regaining her calmness.

"It's not the 'asking' part I'm shocked about. It's 'who' you're about to ask." I replied smoothly.

"Well, I'm just taking this as an opportunity for him to teach me music. He did promise me." Fabia said.

"Oh. He's teaching you?" I asked.

"Yup," she said with a smile.

"It's actually not a bad idea if you think about it, Haru." Hiromi said. We looked at her with mouths hanging and heads tilted down.

"What? It's not a bad idea. If Baron is willing to teach Fabia music, then 'Karaoke Night' will be perfect practice." She continued.

"I guess so. Why don't we go ask Baron right now? I'm sure he won't turn you down once you explain the situation." I say to Fabia.

"Good idea. But aren't you two going to fix that gap in the line and sign up yourselves?" Fabia asked. We looked past her to see that the line had moved ahead a lot. Hiromi and I gasped in shock and made a dash to get back in line.

As soon as we registered, we headed to the Bureau once again. Surprisingly, Fabia remembered how to get back. As soon as we reached the archway, Fabia shrunk down to the size of a certain figurine, but a bit smaller than him.

"How come you shrank, Fabia?" I asked to the tiny girl. She looked up at both of us.

"Oops. Guess I forgot." She said. She pulled out a small pendant from around her neck and showed it to us.

"Baron gave me this jade that's supposed to, apparently, shrink a person down to, I think, his size." She said.

"Ok, changing the subject, even though it's beautiful, can Baron even sing? I've never heard him actually sing before." Hiromi said, thinking over the past few times she's seen him.

"I have." Said Fabia raising her hand. We looked down at her.

"You have?" I asked.

"Yeah. He sings wonderfully. That's why I," she managed before getting interrupted by a loud clatter, followed by arguing that came from the Bureau itself. We looked over to the Bureau and started pacing towards it. Hiromi and I knelt near the doors and all three of us put our ears within range to hear what was going on. We could barely hear anything, since it was muffled by the nearly thick walls, but we heard two familiar voices arguing with each other. That's when a third voice, also familiar, decided to join in sounding as mad as the other two.

"Is Baron arguing with Toto and Muta?" I say surprised since this has never happened in all the time that I've known them. The arguing was cut off shortly when Fabia pulled, a little forcefully, the doors open. And what a sight the Bureau was in.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Breakdowns and Wreck-Ups** **–** **(Hiromi's P.O.V.)**

I was in total shock when Fabia pulled open the Bureau's doors and the state that it was in. The inside of the Bureau was quite a mess. There were a few dishes and silverware on the floor near the dining table. One of the armchairs was on its back, a few papers were scattered across, books fell from the bookshelves, the sofa was turned over, and the rail from the balcony had a few pieces missing. There were, also, three lone figures standing within the torn-up Bureau's mess. One was near the back of the Bureau behind the desk, another was next to the cupboard where all the tea items were held, and the last one was right in front of us, out in the open, next to the turned over sofa. They looked at us in shock.

Haru, Fabia, and I were looking at the Bureau and nearly fainted at the sight.

"What in the world happened here?!" Haru said, nearly shouting. None of them answered.

"This place looks like a train wreck." I commented. They looked down in disappointment. Fabia walked up to Baron, since he was in front of us, and looked at him sympathetically.

"Baron?" Fabia asked. He looked up at her.

"What happened here?" she continued.

"I-It's… s-sort of … hard… t-to… e-explain…" he choked on his own words since he still felt disappointed. Haru and I made our way inside, with a little effort, and just knelt in our spots. Fabia raised her hand towards Baron and placed it on his cheek, firmly. Baron flinched a little and remained still for a few seconds.

"You can tell us. Just trust me." She said calmly. He looked up at her, stunned, from what she said.

"But first, we should clean this place up. Don't you agree?" she continued. He nodded after a few moments of silence.

(Fabia's P.O.V.)

It took a while for the Bureau to be exactly as it was before the wreck and the sun was nearly setting. Baron had used a spell to shrink the two large girls to our height so they could help easier. Haru, Hiromi, and I picked up everything that fell out of place. Muta and Toto carried all the broken silverware and other trash to a nearby garbage bin. And Baron was whispering words of enchantments to replace everything that had been broken. When we finished, the Bureau looked the same as if nothing happened and we all collapsed onto various spots of the floor, gasping for air.

Muta, Toto, and Baron got up as if they weren't tired for a second, although Muta was still breathing heavily. Haru and Hiromi helped each other up, dusting themselves off in the process, and headed for the sofa. I was left, still panting, on the floor until two brown shoes came into my line of sight. Baron kneeled next to me and picked me up, bridal-style again, in the process. He stood up and stayed in that position, looking at me, for a few seconds before walking to one of the armchairs.

I thought he was going to set me on the armchair by myself, but I was only half right. With me, still in his arms, Baron sat in one of the armchairs and placed me on top of his lap, with my head resting on his chest. I could feel and hear his heart thumping, which felt very soothing. I looked up at him, confused, and he looked at me, smiling.

"We don't want another incident like last night now, do we?" he asked me. I could feel myself blushing and looked at him with a smile.

"Thanks for reminding me." I said, sarcastically, to him.

"Anytime." He said keeping his smile. I kissed him on the cheek and he responded with a deep blush, which was very visible, and looked away.

"Awwwww…" We heard Haru and Hiromi and, surprisingly, Toto chorus towards us. We looked at them, simultaneously, and back at each other. Our blushes were only making us go red in the face and we looked away from each other before our eyes could have another stare off. I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how much I felt towards him.

"So, do you mind telling us why the Bureau looked like a train wreck? Haru asked. Again, Baron looked disappointed, followed by Toto and Muta. I thought the dapper cat would speak first, but apparently the crow beat him to it.

"Basically, we think it had to do with that cake you made, Fabia." Toto theorized. I looked towards him and wondered in confusion.

"The cake? You mean the one I left out for you guys?" I asked. In return, Toto just nodded.

"Yes. After we each took slices of the cake, some more than others," he pointed a glare towards the fat cat's way and then turned back to me, "both Muta and Baron acted like they were in a frenzy. Although I have no idea why I wasn't affected, these two just proceeded to tackle me to the ground and scare the living daylights out of me. This I can expect from Muta, but Baron as well was a little too much." The crow explained.

Haru and Hiromi were left stunned as they imagined someone as sophisticated as Baron could be so wild. I looked at the said cat himself and he was really disappointed for having acted that way, considering his facial expression. I stroked under his chin, to get him to liven up before he fell into a dooming gloom, and he arched his neck while purring. It was so cute to hear that noise erupt from him as soon as I started stroking. I did know a thing or two about cats like the most, and that was being stroked under the chin or the side of their ears. At least it distracted him. I urged Toto to continue, so Baron wouldn't have a chance to interrupt, and shot Muta a glare so he knew to shut up as well.

"Although I don't know why, Muta came back to his senses shortly after I was knocked out for a few seconds. Apparently, he had to pry Baron off of me, who was still in a mad frenzy, and distract him long enough for me to regain consciousness. When I woke up again, I saw Baron struggling to get out of Muta's grasp and he tried lashing out towards me. Although it was last second, I made my way back into the Bureau, for who knows whatever reason they can think of. And the chase continued until Baron came back to his senses, which explains the mess you three walked into." Toto explained further.

By this time, my hand dropped from underneath Baron's chin and my mouth was hanging open, thinking of how on earth all this could happen from one cake. Then I realized something.

"Baron? Do cats have a craving for mulberries?" I asked. He snapped out of his daze a few seconds after I removed my hand, so he had to have heard the question. He responded by looking down at me.

"I'm not sure if it's much of a craving, but I do know that with enough mulberries, most cats can be crazy enough to be considered feral. Depending on the number of berries that are consumed will depend on the craziness of the cat who devoured them. I know that one pound of berries is enough to send a cat on a marathon throughout the city." He explained. That made me realize more and more of what might have happened. I smiled to myself, to which everyone stared at me in confusion. Pecking him on the cheek, I got Baron's full attention.

"That must be why you were so crazy. There were five pounds of mashed up mulberries in that cake that I made." I told him, which was heard by everyone.

Baron looked at me with shocked horror, or I assume that that was it, considering how big his eyes were and how far his mouth dropped. Everyone else was practically the same way.

"You put FIVE pounds into that cake?!" he questioned with stricken horror. I just laughed to myself in embarrassment. Now I know that I need to watch number of berries I put into a cake. Apparently, this was just an insane case of sugar rush. And very insane to emphasize.

"Sorry. I, obviously, didn't know." I apologized, rubbing the back of my head. Baron just slapped his head in exhaustion, while Haru and Hiromi looked at each other in horrified confusion, with Toto and Muta falling to the floor in exasperation.

(Later On)

It was getting dark outside and we knew that it was time for everyone to go home. Hiromi left a few minutes before Haru, due to an urgent phone call from her mother. Haru was about to leave, but she voiced out for everyone to hear.

"Fabia? Why don't you ask Baron about your two problems?" she said before she winked at me. I was about to reply, but she ran off passed the archway before I could say anything.

"What did Miss Haru mean by that, Fabia?" Baron asked. I knew what Haru meant by "two problems", but I didn't want to pressure Baron or overdue my welcome here.

"It's sort of hard to explain," I replied looking down at the floor and twiddling my finger.

"Hmm. Well I guess it could wait until later, when you feel like sharing, but it is late. Shouldn't you be heading home, as well, as Miss Haru and Miss Hiromi?" he stated and asked, wondering what I was going to do.

"That's just it." I muttered to myself.

"I beg your pardon? I didn't quite catch that." Baron said. I turned around and looked at him. Muta and Toto were behind Baron, having worried expressions all over their faces.

"Baron," I started, grabbing his hand while sadness fell over me, "The reason I never left Haru's side is because… I don't have a family."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: It's Déjà vu Trouble** **–** **(Baron's P.O.V.)**

I wasn't expecting to hear those words from her lips. It stunned me just by looking at her facial expression because it pained me to see people that lost something of value. Before anything else could be said, Fabia started to form tears in her eyes. She was about to collapse to the floor, but I was quicker and managed to hold her steady in my arms. She continued to cry, knowing that I just talked about a personal thing, apparently, without my knowledge to it. I wanted to learn more, but I knew better than to just "pry" the information from her.

Before I had a chance to react, her breathing slowed its pace, her crying became silent, and her legs suddenly grew weak. Just like last night, she fell unconscious. But this time, it was in my arms.

I was horrified, panicking once again and carried Fabia back to the sofa. She had to have an infection or disease that would cause this to happen. And I was determined to find out.

"Baron? What are you doing?" Muta asked as I got out a stethoscope from the first-aid kit. Her breathing was normal, for the moment.

"I'm going to find out what's wrong with Fabia because this cannot be a minor coincidence if it happened last night and right now," I stated.

"Do you think she'll be alright though?" Toto asked worriedly.

"I don't know yet." I replied.

"Toto, I want you to go get Miss Haru and Miss Hiromi back here. Muta, I want you to keep an eye on Fabia. I need to run and get someone. Perhaps they know more than me about this condition of hers." I said, running to collect my top hat, tailcoat, and cane.

"I'm on it." Muta and Toto said simultaneously. Toto perched back on the rail and made his way out the window. Muta walked around the sofa and started to "keep an eye" on Fabia.

"I want you to make sure her heartbeat is steady, also." I added while pacing to the door.

"You can count on me, Baron. I'll make sure Chicky here keeps breathing." He said firmly. I smiled back at him and exited the Bureau. I whispered a few words, while gripping a blue sapphire in my left hand, and a light blue portal opened in front of me.

'I hope I'm not too late.' I thought to myself and jumped into the portal.

(Toto's P.O.V.)

I flew as fast as I could to Haru's house. I was so scared when I saw Fabia fall to the floor. I managed to ride a wind current in the sky that sent me riding in the direction I was headed in. I dove down when I saw a familiar house. It stuck out like a sore thumb with all those cat tails surrounding it. I looked inside the window of Haru's room to see her entering with her pajamas on. I tapped at the glass to get her attention and she managed to see me. She walked towards the window and opened it up, allowing me to enter her room and perch on a bedpost.

"Toto? What are you doing here? Did something happen?" she said as I gasped for breath. I was bombarded with so many questions, so I just got to the point.

"Fabia is in trouble. She just collapsed to the floor, for no entire reason, about fifteen minutes after you left. Baron sent me to get you and your friend to come back to the Bureau." I said without a moment's hesitation. Haru's eyes widened in shock and fear for Fabia. She picked up her cell phone and started to dial a number to call Hiromi, I think.

"Hiromi? … I know it's late… But it's an emergency … Just go back to the Cat Bureau … Because Fabia is in trouble! … Ok … Okay, bye …" Haru hung up her phone.

"Ok, Hiromi is on her way to the Bureau. Let me get dressed. I'll meet you over there." She said as she rushed out the door. I didn't have time to reply, so I just took Haru's word for it, and headed back to the Bureau. Hopefully, they know what is going on with Fabia because I haven't got the slightest clue as to what is going on with her.

As soon as I reached the Bureau, I noticed that there was a small group of what looked like cats from my height that was just outside the Bureau's doors. I landed near the doorway to see Muta sitting in his chair and Baron pacing madly in front of the doors. He took notice of me when he turned around and started walking towards me.

"Well?" he asked me anxiously.

"They're coming. They should be here in about," I said before Haru and Hiromi appeared in the archway. "-seconds," I finished. They made their way, through the group of cats, and knelt in front of us.

"How is she?" Haru asked, even more worried than I was.

"I don't know. When I told King Lune about a friend of yours needing medical attention, he brought a few cat doctors with him. When we got here, I was forced out because I wanted to stay with Fabia although I had to leave." Baron said in a panicked voice.

"Calm down, Baron. They'll be in there, for a while." Hiromi said when Baron started to hyperventilate. We were all worried, even Muta, about Fabia's condition. She just broke down in front of us, so we had a reason. I noticed Haru staring at the doors.

"Did she faint last night when I brought her here, Baron?" Haru asked as she looked towards him. Baron was stunned as he stared at the darker brunette.

"Yes, she did. How did you know that?" he questioned. She just sighed. Hiromi looked at her in sadness.

"Let's just say that she's been doing that for a while now. Even human doctors say that she might have a limited time to live. And they still don't know what is wrong with her." She explained.

As soon as she said that, I looked back at Baron. He was really horrified when he heard that. He practically gripped at his chest as he, I believed, was thinking about Fabia.

The doors started to open, and we all stood at the door, Haru and Hiromi were kneeling though. King Lune came out with a doctor and a sad look on his face. Baron rushed forward and stood in front of them, breathing heavily and pleading eyes on his features. Lune gestured for the doctor to give the diagnostic result, sympathy in his mismatched eyes. "I'm sorry. She might not make it." The doctor said. With that, I knew, Baron's heart shattered.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Glowing Antidotes** **–** **(Haru's P.O.V.)**

"What do you mean she might not make it?" I asked, not believing in what I just heard.

"To put into one word, she has Atherosclerosis." The doctor said.

"What is that? A poison?" Muta asked.

"No. it's a disease. It causes the victim to have a heart attack and a stroke. I'm just glad that she didn't have a stroke." Lune stated.

"She can't be dead." We all looked at Baron. Baron was staring at his hands and started trembling as if he feared himself.

"It's okay, Baron. Lune? Can we see Fabia?" I asked patting Baron on the shoulder with my index finger.

"She's alive for the moment, so, I don't see why not." Lune said. He gestured for us to follow him. Before we took another step, though, Lune turned around and looked at me and Hiromi, as if he forgot something. He pulled something out of the pocket of his white royal jacket and held one thing in each of his paws. We saw that it was a ruby and a pearl he was holding. He raised his arms, and lights started enveloping around the both of us. Before we knew it, Hiromi and I were at cat's height. Lune stepped towards us.

"Wear these around your neck. They allow you to become cat height and prevent you from turning into a cat whenever you visit the Cat Kingdom." Lune told us. He gave Hiromi the pearl, and me the ruby and saw that they had chains on them. We put the two jewels around our necks and thanked Lune for the gifts. He smiled in gratitude, and we all made our way again, inside the Bureau.

I looked behind me, staring at the cat creation in the same place. He was lost in deep thought. Although I knew he was the one worried the most about Fabia, Baron couldn't bring himself to move an inch. I made my way back to grab his left hand. He looked at me as I pulled him towards the doors. He resisted for a few seconds until he finally gave in.

When we entered, the Bureau looked the same, except for the fact that there were cats dressed as doctors and nurses, and a few white sheets covering the walls. They looked at us and then back at the sofa. All of them kindly moved aside to make way for us and we saw what was on the sofa. It was Fabia.

She was laying down with her hands together. She looked like Snow White, except that she was in a hospital gown. She was breathing softly and slowly as if she had nothing to fear. We were all sad to see her look so peaceful and then realize that she was going to die. But no one looked as sad as Baron did right now. He hung his head low in shame so he couldn't see her face.

"It's all my fault." Baron said. We looked at him in shock.

"How can it be your fault? You didn't do anything that would've caused this." Hiromi said.

"Her emotions were the only thing she needed to have her heart shut down. If she felt anything negative, it would be the reason that she would fall to the ground." Lune said.

"That's how. The most emotions she expressed were of sadness and nervousness. She showed how nervous when she came to the Bureau for the first time, just after Haru had left. And she triggered sadness when she told us that she had no family waiting for her. That was the most painful thing I could ever hear. Although I've heard other clients say this before, when it came from her, it felt far more painful just to see her collapse to the floor in a crying mess." Baron said, tears welling up in his eyes.

"She doesn't have a family? I never knew that. She always told me that I didn't have to worry about it, and then she would just walk down a street. I would always see her in the morning at school. I should've known she was lying." I said, realizing everything that had gone on.

We all stayed in complete silence, knowing what we did wouldn't be able to wake Fabia up. She was going to die in her sleep. With all of us looking away, Baron walked closer to Fabia and kneeled beside her.

(Baron's P.O.V.)

I didn't want her life to end like this. Just like everyone else, she deserved to live. I barely knew her for two days and I've already developed intense feelings for her.

"Please don't die. Please wake up. Please let this only be a nightmare." I whispered so only me and Fabia could hear. Even if she wasn't listening, my eyes couldn't take it any longer.

The tears spilled out at once and found themselves running down my face. It was painful to see her like this. I took her hands in my own and silently prayed for her to get better. I didn't know it, but I could feel everyone staring at me and Fabia. They all had the urge for Fabia to not die. But, mostly, I just wanted to be with her in her time of need. I have to admit to myself or I would forgive how my heart would feel. Even if it was only two days of knowing so little about her, I truly did love her. That, and how much our eyes could peer into each other's soul. And that's when it happened.

I opened my eyes to see a glowing sensation enveloping in our intertwined hands. The glow got brighter and was shining a sunset orange in my hands and a golden yellow in hers. The lights escaped us and started dancing around the room. They traveled all around the inside of the Bureau and even made their way outside. The main sources danced their way back towards us and surrounded me and Fabia, orange and yellow, respectively. I didn't understand what it was, but there was a sudden energy flow that appeared inside me that felt like it needed to escape my body.

A few seconds later, a glowing orb, with an intense light of orange as the core, appeared right out of my chest. It was floating just above us and a bell chime could be heard from it.

Another few seconds issued, and a second orb appeared, glowing yellow, from Fabia. It hovered right next to the other orb and a violin note was heard from this one.

"Hearts of Pure Light appear to Love's Sight." A voice said and everyone looked around to find the source.

"Ok, what is going on here?" Hiromi asked.

"I think I know." King Lune said and we all turned to him.

"It's like that voice said," he started, "'Hearts of Pure Light are shown by Love's Sight'. It must mean those two glowing orbs in the middle are actually hearts." He finished, pointing to the orbs in the Bureau.

"To put it simply…" Haru started. Lune finished her sentence.

"Those glowing orbs are Baron and Fabia's hearts."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Wishes of the Heart** **–** **(Haru's P.O.V.)**

It was surprising to hear what Lune had just told us. I mean, seriously. Those orbs, floating in the air, were Baron and Fabia's hearts? Who wouldn't be weirded out by that?

We all looked up to see that the "hearts" were now starting to twirl around each other, giving off beams of light as seconds passed. And then, a tune was heard, that enveloped the entire Bureau, which was followed by a singing voice coming from the orange heart.

 _"_ _I had a way then, losing it all on my own._

 _I had a heart then, but the queen has been overthrown._

 _And I'm not sleeping now; the dark is too hard to beat._

 _And I'm not keeping now, the strength I need to push me."_

The yellow heart joined in while sparks started making their way towards Fabia's body.

 _"_ _You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone._

 _You shine it, when I'm alone._

 _And so, I tell myself that, I'll be strong._

 _And dreaming, when they're gone._

 _'_ _Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home._

 _Calling, calling, calling home._

 _You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone._

 _You shine it, when I'm alone, home."_

The sparks entered Fabia's body, sinking into her skin, and disappearing without a trace.

 _"_ _Voices, I play within my head._

 _Touch my own skin, and hope that I'm still breathing._

 _And I think back to when, my brother and my sister slept._

 _In an unknown place, the only time I feel safe."_

Fabia's body started giving off a strange light that radiated all around us in a comforting way.

 _"_ _You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone._

 _You shine it, when I'm alone._

 _And so, I tell myself that, I'll be strong._

 _And dreaming, when they're gone._

 _'_ _Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home._

 _Calling, calling, calling home._

 _You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone._

 _You shine it, when I'm alone, home."_

The lights separated into two divisions, one going to her head and the other going to her hands. The first division went to her hair, causing it to go from a dark blue to a light blonde in a matter of seconds. The second, surprisingly, jumped from her hands and onto Baron's body, spreading around. We were all caught off guard by what was happening. Baron was the only one who reacted with mild surprise when the lights started traveling throughout his body.

 _"_ _Lights, light, lights, lights._

 _Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _(Home, home) Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _Lights, lights."_

The lights within them started vanishing. When they disappeared completely, Fabia started moving around and we all had hope surging through us. That's when the final "stage" happened.

We all surrounded Baron and Fabia as it began. Baron's body started glowing a bright orange. The thing is, it only showed brightness when covered by his clothes, and the full blast could be seen coming from only the orange fur, like on his face. Fabia's hair was the only part that was glowing a bright yellow. And then, little sparks started to twinkle around them both like stars in the night sky.

 _"_ _You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone._

 _You shine it, when I'm alone._

 _And so, I tell myself that, I'll be strong._

 _And dreaming, when they're gone._

 _'_ _Cause they're calling, calling, calling me home._

 _Calling, calling, calling, home._

 _You show the lights that stop me, turn to stone._

 _You shine it, when I'm alone, home._

 _(Home, home) Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _(Home, home) Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _(Home, home) Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _(Home, home) Lights, lights, lights, lights._

 _Lights, lights, lights, lights._

After that, the song ended with a final tune, and all the lights around the Bureau vanished. Baron and Fabia still retained their glow for about another thirty seconds. It was plenty of time for Baron to look at Fabia with "hopeful" orange eyes… Wait! … "Orange" eyes? But before I could say anything, the glow around them started fading, with Fabia's hair going back to the dark blue we all know and Baron's eyes turning into their familiar emerald green color.

Also, everything and everyone was pretty much silent when Fabia slowly opened her eyes.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Dreamer's Remedy** **–** **(Fabia's P.O.V.)**

I slowly open my eyes to see myself in total darkness. Everywhere I looked was just pitch-black. I didn't feel anything beneath my feet or surrounding me like walls. This place was bizarre. Suddenly, I hear a voice echo through the boundaries of this place, if there are any at all.

"There is a reason that the Princess has a condition like this. Her heart is not fully functional. It will remain this way if not healed by 'Love's First Song.'"

"Love's First Song?" What in the world is that? And who is this "Princess" I'm hearing about? I have so many questions that need answering. Another voice speaks up.

"There is a problem. Lady Takara has already met Lord Rhiner. If they find the other Lords and Ladies, it'll mean our plans will collapse."

Now I'm confused even more. Lords and Ladies? Rhiner and Takara? The questions just keep piling up one by one. The voices continued.

"We must not let the Chosen Children come together."

"Do you happen to know who they are?"

"Let us continue calling them the Creature, the Figurine, the Princess, the Trainer, the Changer, the Thief, the Brawler, and the Wielder for now. Their names shall come later." After that, the voices faded away.

My head was hurting from all the questions that played around in my mind. Right now, out of that conversation, I was wondering what "Love's First Song" was.

My train of thought was interrupted when an orange light appeared in the horizon of this pitch-black space. I did what everyone does and headed for the light. I got at least twenty steps before a voice told me not to go to the light. With a flash coming from it, a glowing orange orb whizzed away from the orange light and flew past me. I turned around and saw a see-through image of Baron, with a worried expression on his face.

 _'_ _No, Fabia. Don't go to the light.'_ He said to me. He held his hand out to me. I didn't know what to do. Should I go to the light, which feels so comforting? Or, should I take Baron's hand? Before I could decide, the glowing orb floated in front of me and I took it in my hands.

Just then, the image of Baron put his other hand over his chest and started patting it, like he was trying to tell me something. I looked between Baron and the glowing orb until I understood the message. The orb that I was holding in my hands was, in fact, Baron's heart. I finally decided what I was going to do.

I looked back at the glowing light one more time before I started walking towards Baron. I felt so much better when I grabbed his hand. It felt so soothing, like my troubles had just melted away. He smiled, sadly, at me before he pulled me into his embrace. It was warm and his fur was soft.

He gestured for me to close my eyes and to calm my mind. I did so, and found myself hearing a new, but familiar, set of voices. As I, slowly, opened my eyes, I found myself looking at worried expressions on my friends' faces. I turn my head to see Baron's face.

I don't know why, but I jumped off the sofa and landed on top of Baron as he stumbled back, leaving me in the process of hugging him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright," I cried into his chest. I felt him stiffen for a few seconds and then he calmed himself down and breathed. He proceeded with hugging me back.

"I could say the same thing for you." He said. I could see tears coming from his eyes and I continued to hug him. After about a good two minutes, we broke off the hug and Baron helped me up. I turned around to see about a dozen pair of eyes staring at me. Before I could say anything, Haru and Hiromi rushed up and proceeded to squeeze the life out of me to which I responded with wheezing.

"Don't ever scare us like that, again." Haru scolded.

'Well, I might be doing that again if you loosen your grip.' I thought to myself. After them came Muta and Toto with their hugs, and then King Lune with a handshake. After everyone was done worrying about me, I gave Baron another hug and a kiss on the cheek. He smiled and didn't bother trying to hide his blush.

When all the cats, except Lune because Haru asked him to stay a bit longer, started making their way through blue portals, everyone explained to me what had happened while I was in my own little world. The story ranged from me collapsing in Baron's arms to the fading song and light show. What I didn't expect to hear was two glowing orbs that were mine and Baron's hearts, or the glowing hair and fur. That's when I felt like asking my questions out loud.

"Who in the world are the 'Chosen Children?' And who is Lord Rhiner and Lady Takara?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Untold Stories** **–** **(Lune's P.O.V.)**

"Where did you hear those names?" I said in a rather loud voice. We just finished explaining to Fabia what had happened when she was close to death. And now, when a few minutes passed in complete silence, she voiced out two questions to no one and for all of us to hear. After I asked, stunned beyond words of course, there were pairs of eyes looking up at me.

"Is something wrong, Lune?" Haru asked in concern. I responded.

"Nothing's wrong. I just need to know where Fabia heard those names." I said looking back at her.

"I heard them while I was unconscious. Two voices were exchanging a conversation and happened to mention the 'Chosen Children.'" She said calmly.

"Do you know anything about this, Lune?" Hiromi asked.

"I've only heard stories." I said. I decided to tell them what I know about the "Chosen Children."

"The 'Chosen Children' are supposed to be a group of eight people with … Pure Hearts of Light." I stated. That last part got everyone's attention, so I decided to continue.

"The last known 'Chosen Children were said to have lived a thousand years ago. No one knows their names, but people refer to them as the Four Lords and the Four Ladies. Four boys and four girls, respectively. They are Lord Mornus, Lord Rhiner, Lady Takara, Lady Korma, Lord Devon, Lord Cromwell, Lady Vira, and Lady Russo. They were also to be … Magic Bearers. Each of them could handle a single element of magic. The element they used may sound weird, but they were very lethal. The elements were Fire, Earth, Light, Wind, Ice, Water, Darkness, and Dreams respectively." I told everyone, who were left speechless in the process.

"What happened to them?" asked Toto.

"Well, some say they died of old age. Others say they committed suicide, which I find to be highly doubtful, since they were well respected. But the one that people most believe, was that they were killed." I said.

"How were they killed?" Baron asked, with a serious tone.

"Legend says that they were cursed. It's apparently called the 'Forbidden Bond' curse. If they stayed together for too long, then they would die slow and painful. I know you'll ask why they would stay together after that. The reason is, if they could combine their powers together, then they would be able to vanquish any source of evil that was within range of the blast. But they died before they could activate the spell." I said. We all stayed in silence for about a minute until I spoke again. I looked at Baron and Fabia.

"However, their hearts did not give up. You see, their hearts are different from other people's hearts. They could separate from the body with no pain inflictions. When you see them, they have a glowing sphere around them and a source of light as the core. And you can see them giving off tiny sparkles instead of hearing a normal heartbeat." I said. What I said next, had me worried.

"To put it simply, think of when you saw … Baron and Fabia's hearts." I told them. They all went wide eyed and had their mouths open. Some of them wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words to say it.

"So, what you're saying is …," Haru started.

"What I'm saying is, I think I might have a theory." I finished. They all leaned in closer to hear what I was going to say.

"If they're hearts never gave up so easily, then that means they would have to live on forever until they could find worthy inheritors. It's because since the 'Chosen Children' failed to destroy this 'Great Evil' that cursed them, it also means that the 'Great Evil' is still lurking around the universe. Since each of the 'Chosen Children' came from a different world, that's why I said universe. So, it means that whoever has the hearts, are known as the new 'Chosen Children.' But they have to have the same bloodline descent as the older group for their hearts to respond." I stated. We all fell silent once again when we heard that theory. It was cut off by Fabia.

"Then that settles it." She said. We all looked at her.

"If this 'Great Evil' is still out there, then we need to find the 'CCD' before it does." She continued.

"CCD?" Muta asked.

"Chosen Children Descendants." She responded.

"Alright. I'm in. We should start our search with the descendants of Lord Rhiner and Lady Takara." Baron said. We all looked at him in shock. Not because of his decision, but because of his abrupt answer.

"Why them?" Hiromi asked.

"Because they were mentioned first out of all eight of them." Baron responded.

"That reminds me." Said Fabia.

"In my dream, the two voices said that Lady Takara has already met Lord Rhiner. Which means," she said.

"- that the descendants have already met." Baron finished.

"We have a perfect opportunity to start our search." Toto said. All eyes turned to him. He grinned widely.

"There are going to be thousands of people at Ajinomoto Stadium for this year's Star Festival. That is because of Karaoke Night, right?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Potions and Contests** **–** **(Hiromi's P.O.V.)**

Everything was happening so fast. Fabia wakes up, nearly escaping death. Lune explains to us about the Chosen Children. And Fabia is now on the task of finding the descendants. Why is this so important to her? Can't we all just live a normal life? Then again, normal is out of the question once you meet the Cat Bureau.

We were all at Ajinomoto Stadium. It had been at least a week since we devised a plan to search for these Chosen Children. Our team, I came up with the name, is called the "Child Seekers." It consists of me, Haru, Baron, Fabia, Lune, Toto, and Muta.

Toto would be searching in the sky for something out of place. Lune would be acting like a normal cat and looking around the stadium for anything suspicious. And Muta would be searching near the food carts. We all know why he would choose that area, but decided to let him be. Since the stadium was so big, and no one minded cats, Lune called in for more forces to join him in the search. He also asked his wife, Yuki, to use the Cat's Eye Crystal Ball since she wanted to help as well. This task is big and a bit difficult, since a lot of people came dressed up in different kinds of costumes. If anyone is wondering, me, Haru, Baron, and Fabia are waiting in these weird rooms that look like locker rooms, but without the lockers. It looks more like a conference room that has seats and benches and a large TV screen that showed real LIVE video feed of the stadium. Looks like they're filming this LIVE for everyone to see.

Haru was close to biting her nails, if I didn't stop her from doing so since she was nervous. We were both wearing dresses that went down to our knees and had no sleeves while wearing slippers. Hers was a lime green while mine was a sky blue. We looked over at Baron and Fabia.

Baron was wearing his usual outfit, top hat and all. Since everyone was in costume, no one minded his features being that of half-cat half-human. Fabia was wearing something different that I don't recall seeing.

She had an orange robe with a yellow, orange, and white robe with rings. And she has pink earrings while wearing white and blue boots.

They were both looking down, deep in thought. I wonder what they were thinking about. I mean, Fabia just told Baron, four days ago, that she wanted to perform a duet with him. He was surprised at first, wide eyed and nearly stumbling, but gave her a smile and said he'd be honored to do it. Figures. She had to practice with him for hours on every day until the exact night came up, since we all had our songs. But, there was a problem for their duet and song. Since it was an American song, we needed to get rid of Baron's accent for him to sing in English.

Fabia thought it was a bad idea, but came around when Baron said that he's done this before. When he took the potion, we waited a few seconds before he spoke. He sounded like he was American now, which caught us off guard. It was a test run, so we were glad that we didn't do it last minute. Sure, this is supposed to be an opportunity for us to find the descendants. But, it doesn't mean that we can't also have fun, right?

As we waited, the Festival started to begin with all the lights in the stadium going completely black. After a few seconds, fireworks started going off at the edges of the stadium. The Opening Theme was "Firework" by the singer, Katy Perry. As soon as the introduction ended, an announcer came up to center stage and started a short five-minute speech about how glad he was to see so many people at this event, what the Star Festival meant to him, and how excited he was to hear all the performances tonight. With that, he wished all "contestants" good luck and began by calling out the first performance.

Our number was twenty-two while Baron and Fabia's number was forty-six. This competition, as it is now proclaimed, was going to take a while. By the time we knew it, it was our turn to perform. We got on stage and started our song.

We heard this song on the radio once in Haru's home and fell in love with it. The song is apparently called "Problem" that was sung by the singers, Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea.

The reason we chose this song was because it became a way for us to deal with our problems in life. It seemed like a good idea at the time, even if it sounds a bit weird. But, on the other hand, Baron gave us words of acknowledgement for our choice. That was one reason to be happy.

As soon as the song finished, we got a big applause from the audience. We joined hands, bowed at the waist, and made our way off the stage. At least it was fun. I'm also glad that Haru had fun too, although after the bow, she practically ran off the stage just to get out of sight.

Well, our part was done. I wonder how the rest are doing. We're also psyched to see Baron and Fabia perform. I don't know what the song is, but Fabia said they would discover themselves by "Breaking Free." Wonder what she meant by that.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Different Perspective** **–** **(Baron's P.O.V.)**

I'm nervous. I was thinking about what me and Fabia were going to do in what seemed to be six minutes.

We were going to sing a duet called "Breaking Free" that was originally sung by two people that go by the names of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. To sing it, though, my accent had to disappear, apparently and completely.

I managed to come up with a potion in the Bureau's library which is supposed to alter my vocal chords. After a test run, my voice had no hint of an accent which made me sound like an American. In fact, it is how I sound right now in the waiting room of the stadium.

I look to the side to see Miss Haru and Miss Hiromi enter through the door and walk towards us.

"Well? What did you think?" Miss Hiromi asked. I stood up and smiled.

"I believe it was wonderful and quite enjoyable." I said, without my accent. I may sound different, but I still have manners.

"Thanks Baron. I thought it was horrible." Haru said, looking down at her feet.

"Now, Miss Haru. What have I told you before?" I gently scolded her. She sighed in defeat.

"To always believe in myself." She replied with a smile.

"Thank you." I say in a pleasing tone.

"What's wrong with Fabia?" Haru asked. I turned around to see that Fabia was resting her head in her hands while tapping her foot and looking down at the ground. I walk over and stop right in front of her. She looks up at me.

"Is everything alright?" I asked her. She smiled at me.

"Yeah. I'm just thinking about what Haru told me." She said. I looked at her confused. She gave a small sigh.

"About how she saw your eyes turn orange for a few seconds." She said.

"Ah." I said, confirming that I understood. I sat back down, next to her.

"I am wondering the same thing myself. Why did my eyes change color? I mean, there's no significant value for that to happen. Maybe it was just a trick of the light." I stated. Fabia shook her head.

"I don't think so. Even when I was asleep, I also felt and saw a piercing gaze of 'orange' eyes. Maybe it means something." She said.

"Oh, it means something alright." A voice said.

"Did you say something, Miss Haru? Miss Hiromi?" I asked the two young women.

"I didn't say anything." Haru said.

"Me neither." Hiromi agreed.

"Maybe you're hearing things." Haru continued.

"Maybe." I whispered while looking away. Fabia nudged at my shoulder. I looked at her and she looked worried.

"I heard the voice too." She said. My eyes widened at that. I held onto her hand as if I was a scared little boy and she acted the same way, clinging onto my overcoat. Before anything else could be done, everything around us started disappearing and going white. We stood up to acquire our surroundings since everywhere we looked was filled with nothingness.

"Where are we?" Fabia asked to the empty space. I looked at her, only to be left speechless and eyes wide with shock. Her eyes went from a jade green that I know and care about into an "electric" yellow.

"Fabia! Your eyes! They are yellow!" I told her. She looked at me and gasped.

"Mine are yellow? Yours are orange!" she said. I don't know how, but I could feel my eyes turning into a different color. After our shock had passed, we heard voices echoing in the distance.

"It's too late to stop them now. Lord Rhiner and Lady Takara have already developed their 'Eyes of Magic.' It won't be long until they discover who they really are and how to develop their powers." One voice said.

"Baron." Fabia said. I looked at her.

"Those are the voices I heard in my dream." She continued. I nodded, so she would understand. But what are these "Eyes of Magic" that we just heard? Did they mean my eyes and Fabia's? I couldn't confirm it. The other voice spoke up.

"Then that means that Lord Rhiner's eyes are now orange and Lady Takara's eyes are now yellow." The second voice stated. That statement confirmed it. They were talking about me and Fabia. And that meant only one thing.

'I am the descendant of Lord Rhiner and Fabia is the descendant of Lady Takara.' I thought worriedly. Fabia looked worried also, which meant that she figured it out, as well. Before we could act, everything went back to normal. We were in the waiting room again and noticed that our eyes went back to normal. Everyone looked fine and the same way they were before we were sent to the empty white space.

"Number Forty-Six: Baron and Fabia. Please come to the stage." A voice on an intercom said with static interference and then crackled way.

"Good luck, you two." Haru said.

"Knock em' dead." Hiromi continued. Fabia and I got up from our seats and, being the "gentlecat" that I was, I held the door open for her. We walked down the hallway until we got to the place where football players come charging out to greet their fans.

I held Fabia's hand in my own. We looked at each other and decided to dismiss what just happened.

"Are you ready?" I asked her in almost a whisper. She smiled at me.

"As I'll ever be." She said. I smiled back at her. Before we entered the field of the stadium, we shared three more words with each other, in a way to make it sound like our lives were at stake with them.

Let's do it."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Having Fun by Breaking Free** **–** **(Toto's P.O.V.)**

Everything was happening so fast. A few minutes ago, I was in the sky looking for any sign of the descendants. And now, out of nowhere, Baron calls off the search. Sure, everyone who was helping with the search had their questions, but Baron said that he'd tell us later. So here I am, standing next to King Lune and Fatso, waiting for this next performance. We didn't have anything else to do, but we did have to restrain Muta from getting any closer to those food carts. Also, Yuki surprised us, especially Lune, with her appearance since she got the call of ending the search as well.

"So, who is performing next?" Yuki asked.

"According to this booklet, the next number is forty-six. Hey, that's the number for Baron and Fabia." I said, clutching a fold-together book with my talons.

"Finally! We get to see Baron and Chicky perform." Muta said. As if on cue, the announcer started to speak.

"And now, for our next to last performance, we have Number Forty-Six: Baron Von Gikkingen and Fabia Sheen." It said. An applause and a few cheers could be heard coming from the audience as Baron and Fabia walked up on to the stage. This was going to be good.

(Fabia's P.O.V.)

Well, this was it. It was finally time for me and Baron to perform. I could feel butterflies flying around in my stomach. I tried shooing them away, but nothing happened. I looked up and saw Baron just a few inches from my face. I retreated a bit, but I kept eye contact. "Everything will be alright. Just believe in yourself." He whispered. I smiled back at him. He then turned around and signaled for the song to start. A few seconds passed, and the song started with a piano intro. Baron held a microphone to his mouth with his left hand.

Baron: "We're soarin', flyin'. There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach."

I held the microphone in my left hand as well and raised it to my mouth.

Fabia: "If we're trying, so we're breaking free."

Baron grabbed my hand.

Baron: "You know the world can see us. In a way, that's different than who we are."

Fabia: "Creating space between us, 'til we're separate hearts."

Both: "But your faith, it gives me strength. Strength to believe."

Baron: "We're breaking free!"

Fabia: "We're soarin'!"

Baron: "Flyin'!"

Both: "There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!"

Baron: "If we're tryin'!"

Both: "Yeah, we're breaking free."

Baron: "Oh, we're breaking free."

Fabia: "Ohhhh."

We started dancing and people were clapping to the rhythm of the song.

Baron: "Can you feel it building? Like a wave, the ocean just can't control."

Fabia: "Connected by a feeling, ohhh. With our very souls.

Baron: "Very souls. Ohh."

Both: "Rising 'til it lifts us up. So, everyone can see."

Baron: "We're breaking free!"

Fabia: "We're soarin'!"

Baron: "Flyin'!"

Both: "There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach!"

Baron: "If we're tryin'!"

Both: "Yeah, we're breaking free."

Baron: "Oh, we're breaking free."

Fabia: "Ohhhh, runnin'!"

Baron: "Climbin'. To get to that place,"

Both: "-to be all that we can be."

Baron: "Now's the time!"

Both: "So, we're breaking free."

Baron: "We're breaking free."

Fabia: "Ohhh, yeah."

Baron: "More than hope. More than faith."

Fabia: "This is true. This is fate. And together,"

Both: "-we see it comin'."

Baron: "More than you. More than me."

Fabia: "Not a want, but a need."

Both: "Both of us, breaking free!"

Fabia: "Soarin'!"

Baron: "Flyin'!"

Both: "There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach! If we're trying!"

Baron: "Yeah, we're breaking free."

Fabia: "Breaking free. We're runnin'!"

Baron: "Ohhhh, climbin'!"

Both: "To get to the place to be all that we can be! Now's the time."

Baron: "Now's the time!"

Fabia: "So, we're breaking free!"

Baron: "Ohhh, we're breaking free!"

Fabia: "Ohhhh."

Both: "You know the world can see us. In a way, that's different than who we are."

The song ended with us holding each other's hands. After a few seconds, an amazing uproar of applause was sent our way by everyone in the audience. It was the loudest one we heard our entire time here, and Baron had to resist covering his ears because of his sensitive hearing, but no one else knew about it. We shared a bow and made our way offstage. I was prepared for what was about to come our way, since I was never going to hear the end of how I performed a great song and especially with Baron.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Prizes and Praise** **–** **(Haru's P.O.V.)**

Hiromi and I were waiting patiently for Baron and Fabia before we "pounced" on them. As they made their way in, Baron opening the door for Fabia, we rushed towards them. Apparently, they knew what we were planning because they braced themselves for our hugs. I embraced Fabia first while Hiromi embraced Baron.

"That was amazing." I said, giving her enough time to breathe. She looked red in the face which, obviously, meant she was embarrassed.

"T-thanks." She stuttered, rubbing the back of her head.

"I actually had a lot of fun. More than I expected." She continued, smiling in the process. I smiled back at her. "I'm glad you did. This is supposed to be a fun event for everyone. And I'm pretty sure Baron had fun as well. Right, Baron?" I asked. No reply came from him. We looked at him to see that Hiromi was still in the process of hugging. Baron just stood there like a statue, not moving his eyes, nose, lips, hands, or feet. Suddenly, he looked a bit paler than he did before. HE WASN'T BREATHING!

Me and Fabia gasped as we made our way to pry Hiromi off Baron. As soon as we got her off, she realized what she did and kept apologizing repeatedly, while he was gasping for air and Fabia patting his back softly.

A few minutes had passed and a voice appeared on the intercom, announcing that the performances were over and the votes were tallied. The voice kindly asked for all participants to head back to the stage. As we headed to our destination, I looked over my shoulder to see that Baron and Fabia looked depressed since they were very silent and gazed at their feet as they walked. I gave a confused look towards them, but then looked back in front. They had something bothering them, but I decided to ask about it later.

Before I knew it, every contestant, including Baron, Fabia, Hiromi, and I, were standing in front of the audience on the stage. After all the clapping died down, the announcer started giving a few words of praise to all of us and said that everyone who performed was a winner. He then proceeded to announce the third-place winners.

A drum roll was heard playing in the distance. "Our third-place winners are … Number twenty-two: Haru and Hiromi!" the announcer said. Everyone was clapping for us and it took both of us a few seconds to comprehend until we jumped for joy. They awarded us with bronze medals that had a three-point star on it. We stood aside, away from the other contestants, since we were already awarded. Hiromi was still squealing and clutching her award in her hands.

They announced the second-place winners as Number seven, who happened to be a duet named Leo and Ana who were awarded silver medals with a five-point star. The first-place winners were about to be announced.

"And now… for our first-place winners… the winners are…," the announcer said. Me and Hiromi were nervous to know who it was. In the distance, we saw Toto, Muta, Lune, Yuki, and a few other cats huddled close together, desperate to find out who as well. In fact, the whole audience was leaning forward in anticipation. Then the result came.

"- Number forty-six: Baron and Fabia!" he finished. The audience bursted out of their seats, cheering and clapping rather loudly. The contestants clapped as well since they were good sports. Me and Hiromi hugged and cried a bit since they won. We saw all the cats jump for joy and began meowing their congratulations.

Baron and Fabia just stood there like statues with eyes wide as they could and mouths slightly open. Some of the other contestants had to push them to the front of the stage. They snapped out of their sudden shock and gave a smile to the crowd.

As soon as they got to the front, they were awarded gold medals with an eight-point star. They also got a trophy that had the same star. They accepted it with gratitude and started waving to everyone, hugging each other in the process. With that said, fireworks shot into the sky, signaling the Festival event was over.

After a long journey from the stadium, we all managed to come back to the Cat Bureau in one piece, considering how exhausting the journey was. But, it was full of conversation, so it kept us occupied from how sore our feet were. Even Baron's accent returned by the time we reached the archway. I have to tell you, him without his accent was really unnerving in all honesty.

"Congratulations to all of you." Toto said to us, perching on his stone pedestal. We were standing by the pillar and everyone was offering us praise. Hiromi and I happily accepted it while Baron and Fabia just smiled while grasping each other's hand. For some reason, they just weren't in the mood to celebrate.

"Alright Baron, Chicky, what's the matter with you two? You've been too quiet ever since we got back from the Festival!" Muta decided to break the silence surrounding them. They looked up at everyone, then each other, and back to everyone else while sharing a somewhat defeated sigh.

"We have to tell all of you something." Fabia said. We gestured for them to go on.

"It's about the descendants of the Chosen Children." Baron continued. The next part was not what we were expecting by a long shot.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Truths and Questions** **–** **(Baron's P.O.V.)**

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Hiromi screamed. Fabia and I just finished telling everyone else about the event that took place in the white space of emptiness. They didn't believe us at first, but their minds took a sudden turn once we told them who the descendants could be.

"As we said. Two voices said that Lord Rhiner and Lady Takara would have their eyes change color. Haru did say that she saw Baron's eyes turn orange and when we were in that empty space, I saw it too while Baron, apparently, saw my eyes turn yellow. So, that's why we think that Baron and I are the descendants that we were all looking for." Fabia explained. It was a little hard for both of us to accept the fact.

"Well, if you are the descendants, I guess that means you two have powers. I'm basing that off the stories I heard." King Lune said.

"We don't know about that yet, so we can't assume that we have or haven't any powers. It's still a theory for that matter." I said.

"What are the powers that they are claimed to have?" Haru asked.

"In the stories, it's said that Lord Rhiner has the power to manipulate anything made solely of Earth. Lady Takara has the power to radiate Light and increase or diminish sunlight." King Lune answered.

"We'll find out about the rest of this story later. For now, we will leave the subject alone until we know more." I said. I didn't want to pursue this topic more than it has already gone.

(Later On)

It was midnight. Everyone had gone home. I was in my state of a statue, near the window panes. Even if my eyes are open, as a statue, I can decide whether I want to sleep or not. And this night, I was wide awake. I couldn't get this "Chosen Children" topic out of my head. And, apparently, I am not the only one who has questions on my mind.

I saw a silhouette entering through the archway and into the Refuge. It was making its way towards the Bureau. As the moonlight was now shining down upon the Refuge, the shadowy figure became more distinct. It was the figure of a girl. My eyes widened, though it can't be seen by my state. It was Fabia.

'What on earth is she doing here, at this time of night?' I thought. She was supposed to be with Haru since she did offer her a place to stay after finding out she didn't have a family to begin with.

She came up to the window, where I stood, instead of stepping up to the door. She knocked on the panes at least three times. I decided not to keep her waiting. My body radiated an orange light. It only happens when… Wait, a minute! ... Orange?! ... This is becoming a real pain. I may like orange and have orange fur, but I don't like seeing it every now and again! As soon as I was capable to move, I turn on the lights outside and make my way towards the door. I open it and find her already in front.

"Fabia? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" I asked her. Her reply was hugging me and shivering like when someone has a bad dream.

"I had a nightmare." She said. I was right. I bring her inside and have her sit on the sofa.

"Would you like to tell me about your nightmare? I find it to be very relieving when you tell someone about these things instead of keeping them locked within." I tell her. She looks up at me as I sit next to her.

"Well, I dreamt that I was in that dark space. It was when I nearly died. But this time, I saw a coated figure standing in front of me." She said. Tears started falling from her eyes.

"He was holding something. What I saw was him holding you as a statue. He held you out, like he wanted me to take you. But I hesitated, and it was because of hesitation that the next thing happened. Since I didn't take you in time… you… y-you…" she said. I was looking at her with sympathy.

"What happened to me?" I asked her gently. She looked ready to burst. And by her answer, she practically did.

"YOU EXPLODED INTO FLAMES!" she yelled out. I jumped back by the level of her volume. She started crying her eyes out. I moved back next to her and put my arms on her back and in her hands. She took this as an invitation to lay her head on my chest. I gently rubbed her back in a comforting manner. Me? Explode into flames? That sounded impossible in my opinion, but this was a stretch of imagination gone completely out of hand.

After about six minutes, Fabia stopped crying but kept her head on my chest.

"Have you ever wondered if there are other places? Worlds maybe?" she muttered. I looked at her with a blank expression. That was a complete, abrupt change of topic. No one has ever asked me something like that before. But, I decided to answer either way.

"Well, I believe that if you believe in something, with all of your heart, then it just might be real. It's like Creations." I said.

I feel as if I've answered something that just might happen soon. It's better to have Courage when you're afraid and Hope when you're depressed. Just who are the Chosen Children? We'll find out soon enough. For now, I plan on keeping Fabia safe within my grasp. That means a room and food at all times. I wonder if she'll accept a job as a member to the Bureau? That would make ME happy.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Secrets and Hints** **–** **(? P.O.V.)**

"The first two children, The Children of Earth and Light, have opened up their hearts. It won't be long until the other children follow the same result."

"It's better that they stay this way."

"But there's a problem, Baronius and Fabiana won't stop interfering to protect their children."

"We'll just have to wait and see the outcome. Now then, who shall we spy on next?"

"I hear the Children of the Water and the Wind are the next likely to meet."

"I wonder how it'll go for a human girl, the Trainer, that handles pocket monsters and a raccoon, the Thief, which comes from a long line of thieves takes their meeting of each other."

"Just make sure that certain ancestors don't interfere this time."

"That's close to being rather impossible. Considering how powerful all eight children will be."

"But still, that will be in the near future."

To be continued…


End file.
